Pivoted fluke boat anchor



Dec. 6, 1955 R. c. NORRIS ETAL PIVOTED. FLUKE BOAT ANCHOR Filed April 22, 1954 Raymond C. A/orris Char/es 4. Price INVENTORS ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,725,842 PIVOTED FLUKE BOAT ANCHQR Raymond C. Norris and Charles Price, Dallas, Tex.

. 7 A p ca ion Ap i 1 Serial-No- 424,840

7 5 Claims. to]. 114- 208) Ibis invention relates to boat anchors and more partiqula Y t an an ho ha n foldable or collap i l flukes.

i The principal object of the invention is to provide an anchor whose shank is designed to preclude itsentanglement with submerged objects such as logs, brush or the like by forming the same with a circular base and a series of integral radial webs whose edges originate at the periphery of the base and are upwardly convergent,

terminating collectively in a rounded upper end which is apertured to receive an end of a rope or cable or a link to which said .rope or cable can be secured.

Another object of ,the invention is to provide an anchor having collapsible flukes, the, .latter being pivotally att h- 0 ,ra ally ext nding earsformed at the geometrical center of the underside of the circular base and curved upwardly and outwardly in extended positions radially about the base and held in such position by clips set in cavities formed in circumferentially spaced relation ship about the perimeter of the base.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an anchor of the character set forth in which the fiukes, when collapsed, extend in a direction opposite the shank of the anchor and which, by virtue of their manner of attachment to the base and their curved form, fall into a position to define a space which atfords convenient stowage for the rope or cable and about which the latter is wound when the anchor is not in use.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds when considered with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of an anchor constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the anchor with the fiukes collapsed and shown as forming a spool for stowage of the anchor line.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing one of the fluke retaining clips.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral 10 denotes generally the anchor body which is preferably cast from a suitable metal of adequate weight to define a circular base 11 whose periphery is beveled inwardly toward its undersurface as at 12, the purpose of which will become evident later in the description. I

The body 10 is formed with plurality of ribs or webs base and whose outer edges a shank consisting of a 13, radially disposed on the 14 originate at the perimeter of the circular base and are curved inwardly, thence upwardly, and converge in a rounded upper end 15 which is provided with an aperture 16 which is adapted to receive an end of a rope or cable 17 or a link 18 to which the end of the rope or cable is attached, as shown.

By tapering the webs or ribs 13 from the base upward, it is virtually impossible to snare the anchor in submerged brush, the tapered shank permitting the anchor to slide freely past or through the brush.

Formed on the underside of the base. is a projection taking the form of a series of radialears 19. Those ears terminate approximately between the center of the'base 11 and the perimeter thereof at annularly spaced intervals and each is provided with a circular hole through which extends the right angularly .turnedend 20 of a'fiuke 21. The ends 20 of the flukes are apertured to receive cotter pins 20a to prevent their accidental release from .the ears 19.

Each fluke 21 is made of a cylindrical rod or heavy gauge wire, preferably steel having a high degree of resistance to bending action, The'flukes are each curved between their ends, defining a straight portion 22 underlying the base in flush engagement therewith in extended position of the fiukes and a straight portion 23wh-ich extends upwardly and outwardly from thebase 11 to engage the ground and hold the anchor against slippage.

Formed at circumferentially spaced points about the periphery of the base 11 are cavities 24 which extendinwardly from the periphery and are open to the undersurface of the base through slots 25. The cavities '24 are elongated in the direction of the circumference of the base and conforming .to the shape of the cavities are the loops 26 defining the heads of clips 27.' These clips are made from straps of spring steel, the heads being disposed in the cavities 24 whilethe ends of the straps extend through the slots 25 and are oppositely curved as at 28 to embrace the straight portions 22 of the flukes- 21 when the latter are in operatively extended positions. The extremities 29 of the straps are outwardly curved in opposite directicns so that the portions 22 of the flukes may be snapped into the positions shown in Figures 1 and 3. The clips are held against displacement from their respective cavities 24 by screws 30 set into the base by means of a screw-driver inserted through the outer end of the slots 25, the beveled edge 12 of the base making possible better access to the screws. The heads of the screws engage over the outer edges of the loops 26 of the clips, holding them against release from the cavities.

When it is desired to fold the flukes 21 and bring them to the position shown in Figure 2, the free ends thereof are thrust downwardly to release the portions 22 thereof from the grip of the clips 27 whereupon the flukes fall into the position shown and, by virtue of their peculiarly curved shape, they collectively form a kind of spool or reel, as shown, between the ends of which is wound the rope or cable 17 of the anchor for convenient stowage.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An anchor comprising a tapered shank circular base the latter having circumferentially spaced cavities in its undersurface opening at the perimeter of said base, a protuberance on the undersurface of said base defining radial ears, each having a transverse aperture, a series of conformably disposed in each cavity of said base and whose legs extend perpendicularly to said base for releasably engaging each of said flukes at a point spaced outwardly from their connection with said ears to hold said flukes in extended operative positions.

2. An anchor comprising a body having a circular base and a tapered shank said base having a plurality of oblong cavities opening at the perimeter of said base and defining slots opening at the bottom of said base, a series of radially extending ears protruding from the center of the undersurface of said base, each having a transverse aperture, a series of rods defining flukes curved intermediate their ends, one extremity of each fiuke being bent at right angles and held rotatably in said aperture of one of said ears, a spring steel clip formed with a loop conformably disposed in said cavity and oppositely curved legs extending through said slot, a spring clip formed into a loop conformably disposed in each of said cavities and having legs extending outwardly from said slots, said legs being shaped to conform with said flukes to releasably engage and secure said flukes in operatively extended positions.

3. An anchor comprising a body having a base and a tapered shank said base having a series of cavities extending inwardly from the perimeter thereof and connecting slots opening at the bottom of said base, a series of curved flukes, annularly spaced means integral with the undersurface of said base for pivotally supporting one end of each of said flukes for inoperative disposition perpendicular with said base and for extended operative disposition about said base and a spring clip retained in each of said series of cavities of said base said spring clips having legs for engaging and securing said flukes in extended operative position.

4. An anchor comprising a body having a base having circumferentially spaced cavities open at the perimeter of said base and slots perpendicular to said cavities and opening at the bottom of said base, a tapered shank integral with said base, a projection in the center of the undersurface of said base defining radial ears, each having a transverse aperture, a series of rods defining flukes curved intermediate their ends, each rod having said end rotat ably disposed in an aperture of one of said ears for rotation to a position under and perpendicular to said base and for rotation to an operative radial position in relation to said base and clip means having loops retained in the cavities of said base and provided with legs engaging and holding said flukes in said operative radial position.

5. An anchor comprising a circular base having annularly spaced cavities opening at the perimeter of said base and slots communicating with said cavities and opening at the bottom of said base, a tapered shank integral with said base, a series of flukes curved intermediate their ends, means on the underside of said base to which an end of each of said flukes is pivotally connected to support said flukes collectively in a collapsed position substantially perpendicular to said base and in an extended position in radially disposed relationship with said base and means carried by said base for holding said flukes extended, holding means comprising a spring clip set in each of said cavities and having depending legs shaped to receive one of said flukes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 877,761 Cummings Jan. 28, 1908 930,486 Lewis Aug. 10, 1909 1,365,813 Brown Jan. 18, 1921 1,782,449 Siebert Nov. 25, 1930 1,810,565 Kenely June 16, 1931 2,315,513 FitzGerald Apr. 6, 1943 

